Free agency should begin fast and furious, as usual, tonight.

But it might then become slow and painful to those players not involved in the initial signing spree.

"When all the crazy deals are getting done . . . before it was two or three weeks. Maybe it is a week now," Tennessee Titans general manager Mike Reinfeldt said. "I think the whole thing shuts down much quicker."

In part, blame the economy.

Teams still want to get better, and even with 14 players receiving the franchise tag, there's still plenty of talent to entice NFL owners to open their wallets.

But in a nation, and a league, awash in cutbacks, free agency might be no different.

"I don't see as many big-dollar deals happening. That's just my opinion," Houston Texans general manager Rick Smith said. "I think you'll see teams being a lot more conservative."

A looming uncapped year in 2010 and limitation on base salary hikes will make the contracts that are done more challenging to structure. From a cash-flow standpoint, clubs might try to defer money on some big-money deals.

"Teams want to win and are going to go out and get the guys they need to win," player agent Todd France said. "Economics can always be an excuse if they don't get guys or whatever. But I don't think you're going to get unanimity across the board, where 32 teams are going to think one way or the other."

There's more cap room available to teams, given the hefty $123 million spending limit and better long-range planning by teams.

"But that doesn't mean there will be more cash," said agent Peter Schaffer, who has several clients hitting the open market, including Eagles tackle Tra Thomas. "And how teams are going to spend their cash and cap, I think, is something everyone's waiting to see.

"Some teams will make big splashes . . . but a historical analysis of free agency shows the teams that win in free agency are the ones that not only sign the Albert Haynesworths, but the midlevel free agents that come in at a more reasonable price and are productive players."

Indianapolis Colts president Bill Polian recently WAS quoted as saying the NFL historically HAS followed baseball's lead when it comes to the open market. That league's middle class of free agents largely HAS been left out in the cold.

Agent Mitch Frankel also views that as a potential indicator of the months ahead.

"There will be a steady week or two and then maybe a little bit of a lull, and then a lot of bottom fishing," he said.

We can rebuild them

Remember the opening to the old TV series The Six Million Dollar Man?

A battered Steve Austin, with parts missing everywhere, has virtually no hope of survival.

An expensive overhaul eventually turns him into a wrecking ball, strong and efficient.

The Broncos are trying to do the same with their team, especially the defense and all its missing parts.

And it's free agency that will begin pumping life into a situation that, while not exactly a bloody mess, is a considerable rebuild.

"We're after any player that's going to make us better, and that's going to be a very specific thing," Broncos coach Josh McDaniels said last week at the national scouting combine in Indianapolis.

"We don't want to bring in a bunch of players who don't really fit what we're going to do with them. . . . If we feel like they can help us improve in any area, in any phase, then we're going to be interested in them, whether that's through free agency or the draft."

Cap considerations won't be an issue on the open market. Cash on hand will be. But if McDaniels is to be believed, Denver won't be shy about spending owner Pat Bowlen's money in hopes of building a roster for the franchise's first playoff appearance since 2005.

The Broncos will be "as aggressive as we need to be," McDaniels said. "We're interested in a lot of things, and we have areas we can improve on. Like every team, we have holes to fill. And if there's a player who we feel will fill that, then we'll be aggressive in doing that."

The Broncos have had a spotty record in free agency in recent seasons. Signings such as Travis Henry, Sam Adams, Keary Colbert and Todd Sauerbrun weren't crippling individually but are symptoms of an ongoing malady of wasteful spending.

But McDaniels insisted history does not make it paramount the Broncos hit on players this time around.

"We can't control what's happened before. They've also done some good things in the past, too," McDaniels said. "It's a moving-forward process, and we're interested in players that are going to help us get better, and if they will, then that's a decision that will be made."

Five the Broncos will keep an eye on . . .

* DE Chris Canty, Dallas: If you're looking for statistical proof that Canty could be a necessary cog in Denver's rebuilt defense, you won't find it. But look closely at the numbers of the men playing alongside him. At Virginia, Daryl Blackstock led the Atlantic Coast Conference in sacks while playing next to Canty. In Dallas, Demarcus Ware paced the NFL with 20 sacks. And at 6-foot-7, 304 pounds, Canty holds the edge as a 3-4 end. But he's a self-professed "Bill Parcells guy," and Miami's looking.

* SS James Sanders, New England: The Broncos are nearly bereft at the safety position, and while Sanders isn't star caliber, he can deliver a hit, is only 25, and his familiarity with the Patriots' defensive philosophy is a big plus. Sanders doesn't figure to be a big-ticket item, either, with a glut of safeties on the open market. He's the type of middle-tier free agent the Broncos might try to acquire to restock the roster. But if the Broncos do decide to spend a little more cash, Miami's Yeremiah Bell makes sense as a rugged run stuffer.

* FS Sean Jones, Browns: It's a matter of taste among available defensive backs, given the numbers available. The New York Giants' James Butler, Oakland's Gibril Wilson and Tampa Bay's Jermaine Phillips have their merits, too. And the Broncos almost certainly will land one or maybe even two players at the position on the open market. Jones might have the most upside because he's 26 - as long as a knee problem that affected his 2008 season proves only minor. He has intercepted 14 passes during the past three seasons and has the versatility to play close to the line of scrimmage or as a ballhawking midfielder.

* ILB Bart Scott, Ravens: The Broncos will have a variety of options at outside linebacker, with Elvis Dumervil and Jarvis Moss shifting from the front four to outside linebacker if they can demonstrate an ability to drop in pass coverage, and D.J. Williams, Boss Bailey and Wesley Woodyard also in the mix. But the defense lacks an interior presence. With the draft deep at linebacker, inside linebacker might be the preferred route . But if the team is looking for a thumper to play between the tackles, Scott brings that physical presence, is well-versed in the 3-4 and has played under Mike Nolan in Baltimore.

* CB Jabari Greer, Bills: There will be interest at the position, whether it's Greer or free agents-to-be Ron Bartell (St. Louis) or Bryant McFadden (Pittsburgh). The Broncos need a solid cover corner given Dre Bly's release and the position is relatively thin in the draft except for a few options at the top. Greer has molded himself into a player and, at 27, is near his career prime. But the cost of any of the top corners will be steep, especially after Kelvin Hayden's $43.5 million contact with Indianapolis last week, especially since Denver already has a No. 1 option in Champ Bailey. But Greer has the mix of character and skills that McDaniels set as a prerequisite on the open market.

Five more the Broncos will watch . . .

* DE Igor Olshansky, Chargers: His longtime line coach, Wayne Nunnely, now is in Denver, though there are whispers he might not have been a huge fan of Olshansky's work ethic.

* NT Ronald Fields, 49ers: A potential stopgap option to go along with a drafted player at the position, given Haynesworth's prohibitive contract demands.

* DE Mike Wright, New England: Another familiar player that could help McDaniels in a transition year.

* DT Colin Cole, Green Bay: Along the lines of Fields in that he's big-bodied, doesn't have much of a resume but fills a need.

* CB Leigh Bodden, Detroit: It's hard to pick through the rubble of the Lions' winless season and find positives. But Bodden has skills and won't break the bank.

Big names who will land elsewhere . . .

* DT Albert Haynesworth, Tennessee: Can dominate a game from the middle of the line - and bust the bank, too.

* QB Kurt Warner, Arizona: Now that he has vowed to play, the Cardinals clearly are the front-runners for his services.

* WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Bengals: Has caught at least 90 passes for three years running and has 32 touchdowns in the past four.

* LB Ray Lewis, Baltimore: His longtime defensive coordinator, Rex Ryan, is coaching the Jets and the need is there.

* C Jeff Saturday, Indianapolis: He has helped organize calm up front for years while Peyton Manning flails and barks.

Hit-and-miss

Some of the Broncos' best free-agent signings during the past six years . . .

* Casey Wiegmann, center: Stabilized the line last season after Tom Nalen's knee went south.

* Daniel Graham, tight end: Has brought professionalism to the locker room in his return home.

* Jake Plummer, quarterback: Had limitations, but you can't argue with his record as a starter.

And some of the worst . . .

* Daryl Gardener, defensive tackle: More famous for his rants and IHOP runs than his play.

* Todd Sauerbrun, punter: Broncos knew they were taking a risk given his past - and got burned.

* Keary Colbert, receiver: Never could crack the rotation and was traded in September.

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